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Why Paris? This is a
city with a timeless familiarity, but which is constantly evolving.
This is France's famously insular capital, which draws more visitors
than anywhere else in the world. Here in the City of Light you'll
gaze out on graceful illuminations, drink dark coffee, and find
darker echoes of philosophy. Paris is a patchwork of separate
intimate villages – sewn together to create this singular
sprawling, breathing metropolis which has a clearer cut character
than any other city. Paris is a place of contrasts.

Where do you start?
Paris spirals outwards like a snail, its shell split into twenty
arrondissements, (city districts) each section with a distinct and
different colour and character. You can begin with the famous and the
familiar, scaling Paris's gracefully symbolic iron-lattice, the
Eiffel Tower, before ending up in a street-art adorned bar in a
suburban neighbourhood, and spying art nouveau relics. Here, you can
wander into a flagship haute couture house, hop on the metro and be
deep within bohemia at a boutique pop-up shop in a heartbeat. Or
bustle through the glorious maze of food stalls in the Marais,
following the surging crowds and your nose to fresh fluffy bread,
savoury cheese and sweet macaroons before retreating to the lungs of
Paris, the lush green spaces of Jardin des Plantes or the privacy of
a ZZZ box.

You might fall in
love with Paris because it's a mad and quintessential mixture of what
is sacred to Europe, and yet there are still surprises to uncover
after a lifetime's worth of visits. Immerse yourself in the iconic
and order a latte at Café de Flore, the hub of intelligentsia
intrigue where the likes of Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre spent hours
contemplating the futility of existence – whilst perhaps picking
idly at a croissant. Yet you'll be surprised by the patchwork of
idiosyncrasies and untold secrets which make a visit to France's
capital city such an unforgettable experience, leaving you with
memories strong enough to seduce you back time and time again.

Maybe you'll be won
over by the balance of enduring tradition and progressive modernity:
you'll find a gastronomic culture steeped in pride and exclusive
ingredients; a familiar tableau of artistic greatness in Da Vinci's
Mona Lisa housed at the Louvre; you can swoon at the luminous white
dome of the Sacré Coeur, and witness first-hand the elegant
classicism of French fashion. Then there's the postcard of the new
Paris. Looking east from above the 13th Arrondissement, glass towers
punctuate the rabbit warrens of old working-class neighbourhoods,
where fashion trends are swallowed up as quickly as they catch on,
and the city's new generation of creatives stroll towards the Rue
Louise-Weiss, Paris's new Arts Centre. If history is held in Paris's
palm, modernity and a new enlightenment fizzes at its fingertips.

You'll probably fall
in love with Paris because it's alive, thriving: joyous proof that a
city can love the trappings of the contemporary world without
forgetting – or fossilising – it’s past.

Here in this guide
we will celebrate both the told glamour and history of Paris as seen
in the films – it really does exist - and the authentic localised
corners of Paris so you can share its intimacy, allowing everyone to
enjoy a multi-dimensional experience in one of Europe's major
metropolises whether it's your first time in Paris or your
one-hundred-and-third.

So jump in as all is
explained – from planning your trip and looking at where to stay,
when to go, and learning some handy tips about Parisian culture,
through to what you can expect from each Arrondissement in rich
detail; the highlights, the subtleties, and the rhythms of daily life
– without steering you rigidly along a specific route, so you can
create your own unique perspective of Paris. Think of this guide as
an honest, direct and friendly addition to Google maps, with a local
narrative in place of the extortionate roaming charges.

Paris at a glance

Paris's division
into numbered arrondissements, city districts, means that it's a
relatively easy city to find your way around, despite its
considerable sprawl of 105km. Winding out from the centre in
numerical order like a snail, with the River Seine flowing through
its middle, the spiral begins at the first arrondissement, or 1er, on
the right bank of the Seine – a haven for sightseeing where you'll
find the Louvre and Palais Royal. From here it works its way around
clockwise, outwards to the twentieth, or 20ème, otherwise known as
Belleville, which was traditionally a working class area but has
become increasingly cool and yuppified. Each arrondissement
encapsulates a unique character, and has different highlights,
must-dos and must-sees, which we'll go through later in more detail
in the guide's section 'Sections of Paris'.

What you won't find
here is a guided breakdown of each arrondissement individually, apart
from listing them by name below – the lay of Paris's land becomes
much clearer when you name the city in terms of its quarters and
areas, for example The Islands, which are located in both the first
and the fourth districts. Geographically, a map of Paris doesn't
really look like a snail, but more like a labelled diagram of a human
heart:

To try and simplify
the visuals in this guide, we've converted Paris into a comparatively
un-romantic, or un-anatomical grid, which we will feature on each
section guide of Paris to help you clearly identify which
arrondissements the section refers to, and which they share borders
or overlap with:

How to use this
guide

This is a concise
and direct overview of Paris, with a very French penchant for honesty
– and yet we hope it retains its inherent passion for everything
which is precious to France's capital city.

This guide is split
into two parts – the first, Planning Paris, will help you to
prepare for your trip; giving you a baseline on how to navigate the
city, useful culture tips, some accommodation and eating out ideas
from locals and travellers, along with a handful of helpful budget
tricks.

The second part will
delve into sections of Paris, selected for ease of navigation and
cultural interest. Overall, we hope this guide helps to capture
Paris's poetry without polluting essential information with the
unnecessary, showcasing a selection of Paris's greatest, timeless
assets along with exploring some lesser-known and underrated corners.

It's time to
discover Paris in your own way, side-stepping over-hyped attractions
whilst enjoying the essence of what really makes the most visited
city in the world.

Chapter
1: Planning Your Trip Ahead (1 to 14-Days Sample Itineraries)

If you could spend several lifetimes
in Paris, you would only be relatively confident that you'd
experienced most of the city. But then it would have changed again in
a few weeks anyway. Just when you think you've seen everything,
you'll find new attractions, new cafes, or new markets and museum
exhibitions to explore. It's impossible to see the city in three days
– as many travellers tend to think they can (we say five minimum to
get a real feel for the place) but we have collected a series of
sample itineraries together for you to plan how you will make the
most of the city of light in a day, a weekend, one week and two
weeks.

Paris in a day

Maybe you're trying
to make the most of a stopover – maybe you just spontaneously
jumped on the Eurostar for a fleeting daytrip. In this overwhelming
world renowned city, it's easy to overdose on recognisable monuments,
but trust us – this isn't the only way to spend the perfect day in
Paris.

10.00 –
Straight to the Eiffel Tower

Morning is time to
get things done, with a sweet stop on the way: hop on the metro to
École Militaire and walk towards the giant magical lattice, stopping
on the way for a coffee and a fresh croissant from a patisserie. Gaze
up at the Eiffel Tower from the park whilst eating your breakfast and
take all the requisite selfies you can. Don't worry, you'll see it
again at sunset, and probably throughout the day.

12.00 The
Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries

Time to spend some
time with one of the world's biggest art collections – but since
you're pushed for time, pick a section and focus on it; whether
you're fascinated by Monet and Cézanne, or Renoir and Degas, plan
your visit at www.louvre.fr
to make best use of your hours. Skip the Mona Lisa and wander the
Grand Courtyard and through to the bountiful beauty of Jardin des
Tuileries, stop for another café (you may need a few) and admire the
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, cousin to the more famous version down
the Champs d'Elysses.

13.30 Lunch in
the Latin Quarter

Poke around the
intellectual incubator of the Latin Quarter, where everyone
communicated in this academic language up until the French
Revolution. With the Sorbonne campus at its centre, enjoy wandering
past fountains and lime trees and soaking up the atmosphere of a
budding generation of potential poets, philosophers and probably
waiting staff. Be drawn into second-hand bookshops, and then follow
your grumbling stomach to the lively medieval Rue Mouffetard to take
the city's pulse and sample delicious budget cuisine and colourful
student bars.

15.00 Notre
Dame and the islands

Back on the metro to
the Cité stop, arriving in the centre of the Seine at Île de la
Cité where you can admire the gothic flying buttresses on this
gargantuan ship of a cathedral rearing out of the river. For a spot
of romance, stroll to the Pont des Arts footbridge to see the lovers'
locks.

16.30
Impressionism and St-Germain des Prés

Save yourself for an
early evening of impressionism at the Musée d'Orsay when it's less
crowded. Swirl through Jardin du Luxembourg and window-shop your way
through St-Germain des Prés.

18.30 Climb to
the top of Montmartre

Enjoy the panoramic
views from Paris from atop the hill of Montmartre, either trekking
off your lunch or by catching the metro, and step inside the glorious
white basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. Treat yoruself to a glass of
France's finest vin rouge as you watch the city bathed in the glow of
sunset.

20.30 Into the
night or au revoir Paris

If you're staying
the night, why not head to South Pigalle or Belleville, two of
Paris's fascinating suburban hot spots for some drinks and
interesting bars?

Paris in a long
weekend

If you're inclined
to believe the film 'Two Days in Paris' directed by Julie Delpy, then
a three day weekend in France's capital can either shatter or rebuild
a relationship. We're all for building bridges, so here are a few
useful pointers on how to construct your ideal long weekend in Paris.

See above 'A
day in Paris' for your Friday itinerary.

In the evening, add
a twist by getting your skates on for night time rollerblading. Head
to place Raoul Dautry, 15th on a Friday night to become one of the
carefree Parisian rollers and join them on these wild rides: visit
pari-roller.com

Saturday:
Canal ambling, modern art, boating and bistro perfection

Ride the métro to
Jacques Bonsergent, and roam along the tree-fringed Canal St-Martin.
Immerse yourself in the local atmosphere and wander towards Place de
République to make a lazy pit stop at one of many bars which open as
soon as the sun pops up. It's Saturday, so enjoy your plate of
charcuterie and cheese before exploring the sluices of the canal by
boat: either book a Canauxrama-tour, or take control and hire a Marin
d’Eau Douce (electric boat) for a romantic day of free exploration.

Friday sees you
exploring a bit of the Louvre (you can go back today, and even
tomorrow too), so today it's time for a taste of modern art at the
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris – a dynamic contemporary
art space. From here, you can walk to the Champs-Elysées and marvel
at the lights of the avenue stretching into the city from the Arc de
Triomphe.

Head up to Les
Halles for dinner and drinks at one of the super hip bistros near to
rue Montorgeuil. Now, another slice of Paris's nightlife awaits –
try an explosive night of techno and get sweating in La Bulle, a
hypnotising plastic bubble which shows up at different locations
around Paris: https://www.facebook.com/laBulle.collectif?fref=ts

Sunday:
romance on the Seine, galleries, and an evening soundtrack

If you're with your
significant other, Paris isn't just about lounging around in bed
smoking a cigarette accompanied with whimsical pillow-talk. Sunday is
for more sight seeing, so kick things off with a coffee in a boutique
setting at La Caféothèque on the picturesque right bank of the
Seine, and find the quaint romance of le Marais, untouched by the
hand of Haussmann, for a stroll. Visit the enchanting Place des
Vosges to roam around the Victor Hugo museum.

Whether you're
holding hands or taking a solo stroll, Les Passages Couverts around
today's Grand Boulevards (2nd arrondissement, behind the Louvre) make
for a worthy haute couture step into 18th and 19th century malls in
Paris, with rows and rows of shopping galleries perfect for a covered
walkway and a portal back in time. As you wander through the arcades,
can you find Belle Epoch galleries such as Galerie Colbert, the
Galerie Vivienne or the Passage du Grand Cerf?

Be swung into a
foot-tapping frenzy on Sunday evening at Le Baiser Salé in the 1st
arrondissement, which divides its time between chanson merchants,
world music aficionados, and the Paris's most hotly tipped jazz
artists.

A week in Paris

Day 1: Walking
around Paris

There's no better
way to see the city: start at Champs-Élysées for extraordinary
views of Paris, through the Jardin des Tuilleries, pausing to
appreciate Musée de l'Orangerie located in the west corner of the
gardens for impressionist wonders. Catch the gothic cathedral Notre
Dame early to avoid the crowds and, possibly more beautiful,
Saint-Chapelle church's underground Roman ruins. Head south towards
the Latin Quarter for cafes, and hang out at Rue Mouffetard. Visit
the Pantheon and head west to Jardin du Luxembourg. Stop, order some
wine, sit by the Seine and watch the world go by.

Day 2: Day at
the museums

Use today to become
better acquainted with Paris's cultural giants: spend all morning at
the Louvre, and plan enough to keep you occupied for that time span
(note; it's easy to get over-excited, but don't overdose on the
medieval art, or get lost). Lose yourself to the Impressionists at
Musée d’Orsay nearby after stopping for some lunch, holding
treasures by Degas, Monet, Manet and Van Gogh. Happily spend a few
hours here. Then make a special diversion to museum Quai Branley, a
modern favourite stuffed with non-European and indigenous art and
culture, with fantastic views of the Eiffel Tower from its cafe.

Day 3: Day
trip to Versailles

Take a full day out
and take the RER to explore the Palace of Versailles and its
surrounding flamoyant gardens. The place is huge, and you can easily
get lost in the château or the Hall of Mirrors, glittering with the
opulence of Marie Antoinette's excessive taste. Do everything in
reverse to avoid crowds: start with Marie Antoinette's estate and
work backwards to the gardens and the palace. Go easy on the
champagne for an early start on day 4.

Day 4: Eiffel
Tower

Early is the answer
for Paris's most iconic landmark: stop for breakfast at Rue Cler for
a pastry and a piping hot coffee before you have a picnic on the
grass by the tower and people-watch. After studying its greatest
asset carefully and even scaling its dizzying heights for incredible
views, take an alternative trip to the city's smelly underground for
a history tour of Paris's sewer system. You'll learn a great deal
about how Paris functions – and it doesn't really smell that bad.

Day 5:
Catacombs & Montmartre

A morbid yet
mysterious insight into Paris's history can be found in its
underground Catacombs sweeping the underbelly of the city for miles
and miles (just how far we're not really sure). Dug in World War II,
they are filled with the bones of Monarchists and the echoes of rave
parties from the 1990s. Make sure they're open ahead of visiting.
Scan the streets of Montmartre where Hemingway and his contemporaries
hung out, have lunch here, and head to the seedy district of the
Moulin Rouge where you can catch a show or stare at other tourists
staring awkwardly into sex shops.

Day 6: Jardin
des Plantes and Belleville

Spend the morning
climbing up the labyrinth to the belvedere in Jardin des Plantes, and
study shrubs ranging from Alpine terrain to tropical greenhouses and
medicinal plant displays. Then its time to head out to the outer
multi-cultural neighbourhoods of Belleville and Ménilmontant, a
cosmopolitan quarter with artists' colonies and strong North African
and Asian influences. Explore the nearby Père Lachaise cemetery,
where the likes of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Edith Piaf have an
afterlife party. Mesnil-Montant is the thriving centre of alternative
Paris, full of little bistros, bordellos and fruit trees. Spend the
evening on Rue de Ménilmontant, with its rows of cool bars and
nightlife entertainment to choose from.

Day 7: SoPi in
style

If you're in Paris
for a week, you might want to use your last day to visit Montmartre,
having an unflattering portrait painted and coming away clutching
fists full of souvenirs. After all the gift shopping, pay serious
attention to the foot of Montmartre – pass through Pigalle, where
you can return in the evening for cutting edge music clubs like Boule
Noire and La Cigale. For a cabaret alternative next to the Moulin
Rouge, try La Machine du Moulin Rouge, a hotbed of electro music.
Beforehand, root around the often-overlooked quarter of New Athens,
home to Musée de la Vie Romantique which houses relics from the
romantic era and a gorgeous garden.

Two weeks in
Paris

Day 8: Daytrip
to Lille

It's only a one hour
high speed train away from Paris, so start your second week by
discovering this fascinating French/ Flemish city, famous for its
beer, mussels, chips and beautiful gabled architecture. For a day of
sight seeing, buying a Lille Métropole City Pass is recommended for
good value. Make sure you see the Central Lille highlights such as
the curious Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Treille, the bourgeois
Maison Natale Charles de Gaulle and Palais des Beaux-Arts, the city's
extensive fine art collection.

Day 9: Stay
Seine and wander the galleries

Time for a relaxing
day by the right bank of the Seine, strolling through the quiet,
quaint neighbourhood of le Marais (if you haven't already taken this
leaf out of our weekend itinerary). Wander through the resplendent
Belle Epoch galleries, or Les Passages Couverts, beginning around the
Grands Boulevards and winding your way through glass-roofed splendour
back in time.

Day 10: Back
to modernity with La Cité des Sciences

This ultra modern
museum in the 19th arrondissement will pull you back to the present
with space, life, matter, scale models of satellites, planes and
robots. It can often get very busy here (reigning in five million
visitors a year) so try to get in here early, and mid-week to avoid
crowds. You can spend all day at the science museum, and grab the
chance to experience weightlessness – it's an exciting journey, and
it means you can have more food and wine later.

Day 11:
Pompidou and Place des Vosges

The Pompidou centre
is one of Paris's most daring and popular galleries, with its radical
appearance and crazed, stripped down design giving it the look of a
building turned inside out. With an excess of 65,000 works of modern
European art, there is a lot to keep you occupied. The transparent
escalator on the outside of the building also offers superb views of
the city. Afterwards spend some time at nearby Place des Vosges, a
square fringed with a beautiful fortification of pink-bricked
architecture, up-market fashion and antique shops.

Day 12:
Disneyland

Whether you're with
the kids or you're way past the age considered acceptable for chasing
Mickey Mouse around a giant animated theme park, there's no excuse
for not indulging in Disneyland Paris if you're here for two weeks.
In a day, you can experience the best bits of the two parks, Parc
Disneyland and Disney Entertainment Village, with Fantasyland for
young kids and the Rock 'n' Rollercoaster for everyone else's
thrills. Plummeting from the top of the 13 storey Tower of Terror is
an experience of sheer terror or exhilaration, depending on your
perspective.

Day 13:
Giverny

Take the Paris/
Rouen/ Le Havre line on the RER to Vernon, then catch a shuttle bus
to Giverny – Monet's paradisiacal garden bursting with flowers and
the home which inspired a whole generation of Impressionist painting.
Here you'll find the famous water lillies floating in a pond teeming
with life, along with the iconic bridge and the pink fairytale house
where the artist lived. Also make sure you see the Musée des
Impressionnismes Giverny which showcases the artists who were
influenced and followed in the Monet's footsteps whilst passing
through the little town.

Day 14:
Literary Paris in St-Germain des Prés

Whether you're
flying the following day or you're just ready for a rest after two
days of day tripping outside central Paris, St-Germain des Prés was
once a hotbed of existential meet-ups, literary geniuses and artistic
masters, a hangout for the likes of J.P Sartre, Hemingway and
Picasso. You must grab a coffee and a bite to eat in Deux Magots,
with a moleskine under the crook of your arm for effect, where Simone
de Beauvoir along with the existentialists experienced their
epiphanies. Walk around the sixty acre Jardin du Luxembourg, where
Hemingway supposedly shot and ate pigeons for his dinner. It's your
last night, so treat yourself, don your Chanel and sip a suave
cocktail at A-lister hangout Plaza Athénée.

Chapter
2: The Best Places to Eat In Paris

There's no doubt that you can eat,
and drink your way around Paris, with a very distinctive culinary
culture entrenched in years of fastidious preparation, routine and
perfection; hearty cuisine, haute cuisine and nouvelle cuisine
(phrases de-bunked below). France uses Europe's finest ingredients –
in fact this country is the EU's biggest exporter of food owing to
the richness of its land – and here in Paris, you have it all at
your fingertips, whether you're breezing past a Bretagne Brasserie,
getting chocolatey chops in a Parisian patisserie, or drinking
Champagne's finest vintage by the Seine, this is where the influences
of a country of food lovers comes together. Here are a few hot spots
where a Francophile can indulge in their every gastronomic whim.

A lovely restaurant
and piano bar between the Opera and the Place Vendome, with an
emphasis on affordable, homey, terroir cuisine with some Portuguese
influence. Georges really does work there, and he's a nice guy.

Le
Château de l'Ouest - Le Restaurant du Terroir €€ - 14eme

Comfortable, cosy
and unpretentious, enjoy regional Basque specialities such as
sausages and homemade pickles, with staff who have a vast, intimate
knowledge of the food they serve.

Le Garde Robe
– wine bar €€€ - Les Halles, 1er

Indulge in
'biodynamic' bottles from local growers, favouring natural methods of
treating grapes to bring out their terroir - specific spirit of the
earth. Can you taste the difference? It tastes pretty terrific and
complex, especially with a fine selection of cheese and parma ham.

Café de Flore
- €€€ - 6ème

This luxury hangout
for the intelligentsia of the Lost Generation is normally packed with
tourists, the bourgeouis locals of Paris, and you might even spot a
few celebrities whilst sipping on a €4.60 café crème. Play
readings and philosophy debates are still a regular occurrence, so
head down on Monday evenings, or the the first Wednesday of the
month.

Haute cuisine

This is the basis of
fine dining for most of the world, taking traditional French cuisine
to the next level

Septime € -
11ème

The décor in this
surprisingly affordable Haute cuisine restaurant in eastern Paris
reflects the owner's background as a design student, with mirrors,
antique furnishings and industrial installations. The food is
serious, direct and delicious.

Akrame €€
- 16ème

At one of Paris's
coolest addresses, it's very difficult to get a reservation here, but
worth it if you do. With a twist on the typical Parisian
Michelin-star dining experience, you'll find surprisingly delicious
flavour combinations, and bizarre amuse bouches (offering a glimpse
or teaser or what's to come)

Music Hall
Restaurant €€€ - 8ème

Down Champs Elysees,
Paris's business and shopping heart where haute couture is King, this
is the place to fine dine on frogs' legs, Burgundy snails and tobacco
duck, all in a futuristic setting with a white piano, it's worth the
splurge.